Despite previous reports and a statement from the actor herself, X-Men comics writer Chris Claremont says Famke Janssen is indeed returning for Avengers: Doomsday.
Claremont, who worked on Uncanny X-Men from 1975 - 1991, reacted to the new Doomsday trailer, which features Professor X and Magneto getting along in what appears to be the X-Mansion. It quickly cuts to Cyclops (in a comic book-accurate costume) on his knees after something has seemingly destroyed the mansion. In the clip, which can be viewed below, Claremont comments that they're bringing back the original cast – to which one of the hosts says, "The original... James Marsden, right?" Claremont replies, "No, the original cast...including Famke."
Janssen notably portrayed Jean Grey in X-Men, X-2: X-Men Unlimited, X-Men: The Last Stand, and The Wolverine. However, she wasn't announced as one of the several cast members of the original Fox film series returning for Avengers: Doomsday. As we saw in that very lengthy and rather dramatic cast announcement livestream, the returning X-Men actors include James Marsden's Cyclops, Rebecca Romijn's Mystique, Kelsey Grammer's Beast, Ian McKellen's Magneto, and Patrick Stewart's Charles Xavier, and Alan Cumming's Nightcrawler.
When asked if Marvel ever asked her to reprise her role as Jean Grey, Janssen told Entertainment Weekly: "Never. Never ever." While it's possible that Claremont misspoke, Marvel tends to be full of surprises. I mean, just look at Wesley Snipes' Blade and Jennifer Gardner's Elektra appearing in Deadpool and Wolverine. It's worth noting that Halley Berry's Storm wasn't announced as part of the returning cast either... but only time will tell.
Avengers: Doomsday hits theaters on December 18. For more, check out our guide to all the upcoming Marvel movies and shows.
